The Portland daily press., 1887-10-08
FRANK JONES DENIES 1T.
A United States Marshal Accused Of
Attempting Bribery.

CONCORD, N. H., Oct. THE Judiciary
Committee of the House resumed its sittings
again this forenoon to investigate the charges
of bribery made against the managers of the
Hazen bill. A number of spectators were
in attendance. Frank Jones. and his son-in
law c. A. Sinclair were present, and with
them many other managers of the Boston &
Names fight. They, with the retainers Of
the Concord road with the men who made
the charges of bribery and who are trying to
push the Boston q Maine men to the wall,
alone made up an audience more thorough
ly interested than has usually gathered, even
at the excited hearings of this legislature.
Mr.. Moore of Nashua. interrogated the wit
nesses called at his request.
The first witness was Moses Spofford, Rep
resentative for Danville. He said: "The
southern part of Danville had but one daily
mail and the business men there wanted an
other They came to me and asked them
what they wanted They said IL Mr.. Jones
would back the petition they thought they
could get an additional mail One Of them,
a Mr.. Collins, of the shoe factory, saw Geo.
K. Dame, superintendent Of the New Eng
land mail service and Dame and | went to
see Frank Jones. He said If we would get
up petition he would back it. The next
week they gave me the petition asking for
morning mail between Danville and Plais-
tow. took Mr.. Collins with me to Frank
Jones and we handed him the petition. l
said, You said you would back the petition
for morning mail If we would get one up.
We have done so. Here it is and we would
like to have you back it, Jones said, now
am square on this. If you'll help us, we'll
help you.' He either said U.S. or me- /
don't recall which. Jones then talked with
M. Collins Is or 20 minutes and the latter fin
ally said, i guess we better let this rest to-
night i took the petition from the table
where 1t lay and said, i guess you had bet
ter back it, Mr.. Jones, on its merits Jones
said he thought 1t would require some effort,
but he guessed he could put it
we are in the midst Of an investigation
and don't wish to pledge myself He said,
L don't want you to pledge yourself.
then went out He did not sign the petition
l next saw Mr.. Jones ON the street in Con-
cord the other night, and he said that II l
said what Mr.. Moore, Of Nashua, said l did
in the House, was a liar. | told him |
stated the facts as they were, and that l
didn't say that he (Jones) asked for my vote.
Jones said that Mr.; Moore had said so. and
Collins went to Jones's room with me the
second time. He came to me the morning he
left for home and said, Don't say a word
about that conversation we had that even
in Mr. Jones's room; II didn't intend to, but
were two men in Jones's room whenw we en-
tered, but they soon left. When Collins
asked me to say nothing OF our talk, as 1t
was little late, / hardly knew what to say,
so said nothing. Mr.. Brown, representa-
told of JOnes's conversation. That was the
next day, and Collins didn't ask me to say
nothing Of it until the day following that"
Mr.. Moore then stated that there were
al w.rrNw rkarw.N Ann4 4rnd e. hArra
subpenas issued for. They would not be in
Concord before next week.
Edward A. Walker, member of the
House for Walpole, was the next witness.
II was summoned to appear here one eve
ing before the vote was taken to postpone
the Hazen bill Thomas Dinsmore came to
me at the hotel and said there was a gentle
man up stairs who wanted to see me. l went
up and there met Mr.. Barker of Keene. We
had some conversation and told them that /
should vote for the AthertOn bill. They
asked me if there was anything that would
induce me to change my mind. | told him
did not think there was. Barker held up
two fingers and asked me If that would be
any indncement. / told him that perhaps /
might be induced to stay out and not vote at
all. Barker then held up three fingers and
asked me what | would stay out for. / told
him that If they would bring up to my room
say 5000 would consider It. Barker said
that he guessed / did not want to sell out
is the United States Marshal for this dis
trict. The conversation between us began on
railroad matters. / cannot give the exact
words OF the talk. They said If they could
raise the wind they would come up and see me
never saw DinsmOre before this interview.
but had seen Barker during the session and
had talked with him some on the railroad
question previously. Dinsmore and Barker
requested that | should keep their offer a
secret. They did not say that they were
acting for anybody. Mr.. Moore, of Nashua,
is the first man that related this talk to.
voted to indefinitely postpone the Hazen
bill. IL they had brought me 5000 1 don't
know whether should have taken it or not.
didn't wait at my room the next morning
for them, and they guessed diun't want to
change my opinion. l considered that ended
Frank E. Cram, representative for Pitts
field, was sworn. He said that Charles
Sanborn, of London, came to his house at
80 on the morning Of the day that the first
vote on the Hazen bill was TAKEN He made
no direct offer, but he discussed railroad
matters generally. He gave me to under
stand by holding up his fingers that the
members were getting from $1,000 to $2CoO
for their votes on the railroad bills.
David G. Sherburne, representative for
Pittsfeld, was sworn: II have never been
approached improperly by anybody. About
O'Clock on the morning the vote was taken
on the motion to postpone the Hazen bill
tell him l was out. l went out the front door
while he was. at the back door. l did not
want to talk railroad with him. / thought
that was what he came for. He called sec
ond time and third. / saw him afterward
at the hotel that morning. He said he wanted
to see me. l asked him If he wanted to talk
railroad. He said yes. l then told him
would not talk railroad. We then parted
and have had no talk with him since. l un-
dersto0d that Sanborn was in favor of the
Boston and Maine road "
This concluded the testimony of the morn
ing.
Charles A. Sinclair said that he had been
assured that he should be allowed to testify
in answer to certain charges that had been
made relating to him. He wanted his ans
wer 20 go out to the world with the charges
Chairman Marston, Of the committee, said
that he should have an opportunity at the
proper time to make a full answer.
Frank Jones then said that he had been
charged with attempted bribery, and he
wanted to say right there that there was not
a word of truth in any charges that had
been made involving him. He wanted also
TO say that so far as any charge involving
the Boston & Maine railroad, or himself, was
concerned, all was ungualifedly false.
An adjournment was then made TO 9
o'clock Tuesday morning.